GeogSplace

The GeogSplace blog has been developed to explore geographical learning in SACE Stage 1 and 2 as part of the geography specialisation in the senior years topic at Flinders University in South Australia.

Here is a really basic guide to mapping to think about and jolt those brain cells.

Basic mapping

Maps are representations of the world created by people called cartographers to help other people navigate the world. Maps contain information tailored to a specific purpose.

A road map, for example, contains information that helps the reader get from one place to another using a vehicle.

The maps found in a geographical atlas
will contain information of less interest to a road user, such as how
the land in a place is used, the population density and the political
boundaries that exist between regions, states and nations.

There are five fundamental things you need to be familiar with to read a map successfully:

compass directions

grid references

map's key

title

scale

1.Compass directions

Compass
directions are vital for finding your way around a map. Starting at the
top and moving clockwise the directions on a compass or map are:

Points of a compass

2.Grid references

Maps are divided into numbered squares. These squares can be used to give a place a four or six-figure grid reference. It is important that you know both four-figure and six-figure grid references.

Eastings

Eastings
are lines that run up and down the map. They increase in number the
further you move east (or right). You can use them to measure how far to
travel east.

Northings

Northings
are lines that run across the map horizontally. They increase in number
the further you move north (or up the map). You can use them to measure
how far to travel north.Remember:

numbers along the bottom of the map come first and the numbers up the side of the map come second

the four-figure reference 2083 refers to the square to the east of Easting line 20 and north of Northing line 83

the six-figure reference 207834 will give you the exact point in the square 2083 - 7/10s of the way across and 4/10s of the way up

3. Legend/keyJust like a key to a door, the legend/key on a map helps you to unlock the information stored in the colours and symbols
on a map. You must understand how the key relates to the map before you
can unlock the information it contains. The key will help you to
identify types of boundaries, roads, buildings, agriculture, industry,
places of interest and geographical features.

4.Title

The title of a map gives you a general idea about the information it stores.

5. Scale

Some basics to start

·100cm in a metre

·100 000cm in kilometre

·1000 metres in a kilometre

The scale of a map allows a reader to calculate the size, height and dimensions of the features
shown on the map, as well as distances between different points. The
scale on a map is the ratio between real life sizes and how many times
it has been shrunk to fit it on the map.

An example

With a 1:50,000 scale map, 1 cm on the map represents 50,000 cm on the ground (= 500 m or 0.5 km).

A scale can be represented as a”

a.ratio or representative fraction (RF)
indicates how many units on the earth's surface is equal to one unit on
the map. It can be expressed as 1/100,000 or 1:100,000. In this
example, one centimeter on the map equals 100,000 centimeters (1
kilometer) on the earth. Or even 1 paperclip on the map is equal to
100,000 paperclips on the ground.

b.A word statement
gives a written description of map distance, such as "One centimeter
equals one kilometer" or "One centimeter equals ten kilometers."
Obviously, the first map would show much more detail than the second
because one centimeter on the first map covers a much smaller area then
on the second map.

c.A graphic scale
is simply a line marked with distance on the ground which the map user
can use along with a ruler to determine scale on the map.

The
smaller the number on the bottom of the map scale, the more detailed
the map will be. A 1:10,000 map will show objects ten times as large as a
1:100,000 map but will only show 1/10th the land area on the same sized
piece of paper

About map projections of the worldMapping our World is
a site explores the relationship between maps and globes, and how
different projections influence our perception of the world. It
challenges the idea that there is one 'correct' version of the world
map.An online game
where you return the "misplaced" country on the world map. As you move
the country north or south the country expands or contracts according
to how that country would be projected if that were its actual location
on a Mercator map.The grid reference system for the globe

The ancient Greek geographer Ptolemy created a grid system and listed the coordinates for places throughout the known world in his book Geography. But it wasn't until the middle ages that the latitude and longitude system was developed and implemented. This system is written in degrees, using the symbol °.

When looking at a map, latitude
lines run horizontally. Latitude lines are also known as parallels
since they are parallel and are an equal distant from each other. Each
degree of latitude is approximately 69 miles (111 km) apart; there is a
variation due to the fact that the earth is not a perfect sphere but an
oblate ellipsoid (slightly egg-shaped). To remember latitude, imagine
them as the horizontal rungs of a ladder ("ladder-tude"). Degrees
latitude are numbered from 0° to 90° north and south. Zero degrees is
the equator, the imaginary line which divides our planet into the
northern and southern hemispheres. 90° north is the North Pole and 90°
south is the South Pole.

The vertical longitude
lines are also known as meridians. They converge at the poles and are
widest at the equator (about 69 miles or 111 km apart). Zero degrees
longitude is located at Greenwich, England (0°). The degrees continue
180° east and 180° west where they meet and form the International Date
Line in the Pacific Ocean. Greenwich, the site of the British Royal Greenwich Observatory, was established as the site of the prime meridian by an international conference in 1884.

How Latitude and Longitude Work Together

To
precisely locate points on the earth's surface, degrees longitude and
latitude have been divided into minutes (') and seconds ("). There are
60 minutes in each degree. Each minute is divided into 60 seconds.
Seconds can be further divided into tenths, hundredths, or even
thousandths. For example, the U.S. Capitol is located at 38°53'23"N ,
77°00'27"W (38 degrees, 53 minutes, and 23 seconds north of the equator
and 77 degrees, no minutes and 27 seconds west of the meridian passing
through Greenwich, England).

Field
work is the process of observing and collecting data about people,
cultures, and natural environments. Field work is conducted in “the
wild” of our everyday surroundings rather than in the semi-controlled
environments of a lab or classroom.

One of the hotspots during discussions as the Australian Curriculum: Geography has been developed and written has been the place of fieldwork in
geography. Most geographers see fieldwork as fundamental to good
geographical education and consider that it is fieldwork which makes our
subject unique in the school curriculum. Whilst the discussion is not
on the worth of fieldwork, the issues are about to what extent we can
mandate it and make it an expectation of all who teach geography from
F-12. Issues of inclusivity for all, cost, risk, ability of
non-geography teachers to conduct fieldwork and the time involved (often
in other class time) come into the equation as jurisdictions and
schools consider the mandating of fieldwork for all year levels.

It
is worth noting at this stage that one of the aims of geography stated
in the January 2011 Australian Curriculum: Geography shape paper was:

However
one notes that the direct mention of fieldwork was removed from the
aims in the October 2011 draft scope and sequence which reads as:

.. that students develop:the capacity to be competent, critical and creative users of geographical inquiry methods and skills

Fieldwork does appear in the Rationale though when it is stated that:

Fieldwork,
the mapping and interpretation of spatial distributions, and the use of
spatial technologies are fundamental geographical skills

If
we are going to see fieldwork embedded in the aims and pedagogical
expectations and in turn mandated, we need to review the nature of
fieldwork, reasons why it is so important and provide a few examples for
consideration. This posting and the next few are dedicated to these
fieldwork considerations. Hopefully they provide useful background for
the writers of the Australian Curriculum: Geography to mandate fieldwork
in our schools, as all classroom geographers desire.

In essence, geographers regard fieldwork as a vital instrument
for understanding our world through direct experience, for gathering
basic data about this world, and as a fundamental method for enacting
geographical education.

Fieldwork
is an important part studying geography. Fieldwork offers a wonderful
way of seeing the world, and a chance for personal development. Doing
fieldwork can make a difference to your life and future career.

They go on to cite the benefits of fieldwork as:

Seeing geography and theories come to life - improving your knowledge of geography and understanding

Adelaide, Australia: S: 34º 55' E: 138º 36'River fieldwork to study the Year 8 draft "Landscapes" unit.This posting showcases the DECD trial project on fieldwork at Loxton High School in South Australia during October 2011. The trial used the draft Year 8 unit on Landscapes, with a focus on the use of fieldwork involving the integration of spatial technology.The
Year 8 Landscape unit of the Australian Curriculum: Geography focuses
on the nature of landscapes and the forces, processes and factors which
shape them physically, as well as people’s perceptions and use of them.
The unit examines, at a variety of scales, how landscapes fundamentally
affect the ways in which people live and also how landscapes are
modified and managed.The Loxton High School students did some great fieldwork along the River Murray whilst studying this unit. Head lead teacher Jo Simon
talks about the trial in her Year 8 class last year. A great and
informative trial for the development of the Australian Curriculum:
Geography - well done to all involved. Thanks
to the generosity of the Loxton High School students and teachers in
giving permission for their teaching materials and reflections to be
part of this blog. In particular thanks to Jo Simon, the lead teacher
for the trial at Loxton High School.

What are some of the issues to keep in mind when planning an
inquiry approach?

I think there is far too much emphasis on inquiry
approaches in the classroom

Inquiry does not necessarily improve learning.

Why can it be said that Inquiry has the potential to be
abused in the classroom.

Inquiry (in UK they talk about enquiry) is a word that is frequently thrown around when 21st Century curriculum is being developed. The
thinking is that students will be more connected to their learning and
engaged to explore if they are stimulated to think via a range of
inquiry questions on a topic/area of study:"Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand." Joe Exline Inquiry
implies involvement that leads to understanding. Furthermore,
involvement in learning implies possessing skills and attitudes that
enable students to seek resolutions to questions and issues while
constructing new knowledge. Useful application of inquiry learning
involves several factors: a context for questions, a framework for questions, a focus for questions, and different levels of questions. Inquiry Based Learning has fast become an accepted way for curriculum to be written, with student exploration, engagement and empowerment seen as positive outcomes. However there needs to be a caveat to the use of Inquiry Based Learning in
the curriculum. It is not a stand-alone approach but rather an approach
which relies on an infrastructure of skills, thinking and foundation
knowledge to ensure that the inquiry has rigour, veracity and sound
conceptual understandings – it needs to be informed inquiry and not just ‘off-the top of the head emoting’ or ramblings based on minimal or uninformed, if not biased sources. There
is a potential for Inquiry Based Learning to be mis-used and abused by
teachers without the skills, knowledge or understanding themselves on a
particular geographical topic. To avoid such mis-use, the January 2011 Australian Curriculum shape paper for geography (page 21) attempted to develop a geography orientated inquiry process with rigour. ‘Geographical
inquiry refers to the methodologies that geographers use to find new
knowledge, or knowledge that is new to them, and the ways that they
attempt to understand and explain what they have observed’

* Migration flowsThis interactive migration mapallows you to see for every country in the world either the top ten providing countries of lifetime migrants or the top ten receiving countries of lifetime migrants. On top of that, when you let your mouse hover over a country, you can see the total population, the GDP per capita, the HIV and Tuberculosis prevalence and the death rate of children under five.

This interactive site enables you to see the age-sex pyramids for every country in the world. A great resource for comparison across the globe and awareness of diversity in age-sex structures between countries. The pyramids raise many question as to why they are the shape they are. The pyramids also go back in time and project forward - fascinating.

* World population data interactive map from the Population Reference Bureau. This site provides excellent data updates in tabular form, as well as a user friendly interactive data map for every region and country in the world.

*CIA World Fact BookWhilst this site is not a visualisation, it does provide plenty of world data that would support the above population visualisations.

Tutorial Powerepoint from 22 February 2016Welcome to GeogSplace,
a blog developed for the Flinders University Senior Geography topic to
explore the study of geography in the senior school years. There
is no such word as splace but I thought it would be an interesting way
to get us to think that geography is very much about both the study of
place and space, so why not splace?Some questions to consider and something to viewHere are some questions and a PowerPoint presentation to consider in our first week together. Enjoy!!

Why
did you choose to study geography?

What
is your geography study profile?

What
part of geography do you like best?

What
part of geography do you like least?

What
in your view is geography?

Why
do we study geography?

Do
you think geography will help you with your future career/job?

Do
you enjoy discussing geographical issues?

Can
you list some geographical issues?

What
makes these issues geographical?

Is
there any one issue that really interests/enthuses you?

Do
you have any concerns about this class and how you may proceed/succeed?

Followers

Where are you?

Who am I?

I have taught history, geography and civics and citizenship in the South Australian education system since 1976. I have been actively involved in the promotion of geography and history over the years, in particular the use of spatial technology in schools. I am a Past Chair of the Australian Geography Teachers' Association (Chair 2008-13) and Immediate Past President of the Australian Alliance of Associations in Education (2013-present). During the development of the Australian Curriculum: Geography I was a member of the ACARA Advisory Panel (2009-2013) and Executive Director of the ESA GeogSpace project. From 2007-2011 and in 2015 I was the Manager for the Humanities and Social Sciences (HaSS) in the South Australian Department for Education and Child Development (DECD). Presently I am a Teaching Academic in HaSS Education at the University of South Australia and the Manager for the Premier's ANZAC Spirit School Prize in DECD.